NNSA Blog

Steve Rottler has been named vice president of Sandia’s California laboratory on Feb. 1. He replaces Rick Stulen, who is retiring after 36 years at Sandia National Laboratories.

In his new role, Rottler will lead Sandia’s Energy, Climate, and Infrastructure Security Strategic Management Unit. Rottler also is currently vice president of Sandia’s Science and Technology Research Foundations Division.

If a nuclear device were to unexpectedly detonate anywhere on Earth, unmanned aircraft could be used to find out who made the weapon by rapidly collecting airborne radioactive particles for analysis. Relatively inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles could fly right down the throat of telltale radiation over a broad range of altitudes without exposing a human crew to hazards.

The Sandia National Laboratories-developed airborne particulate collection system recently demonstrated those kinds of capabilities. Dubbed “Harvester,” the system “tasted” the atmosphere with two particulate sampling pods. A third pod would provide directional guidance for a real event by following the trail of gamma radiation.

Top: MOX Services President Kelly Trice, left, presents a certificate to Wise President and Owner David Abney and Wise Marketing Director Renee Abney. Wise was recognized as a 2012 MOX Gold Supplier during a special presentation in Dayton. Bottom: Byers Precision Fabricators was recognized as a 2012 MOX Gold Supplier during a special presentation in North Carolina. Steve Marr of MOX Services (left) and Kevin Hall of NNSA (right) present Roger Byers (center) with the award.

From prime contracts to subcontracts, small businesses provide mission-critical work every day, enabling the Energy Department to achieve its mission. At the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), MOX Services, the contractor responsible for the construction of the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility, has awarded 9,683 subcontracts to small businesses to support its nonproliferation efforts to dispose of surplus weapon-grade plutonium by fabricating it into MOX fuel for use in commercial nuclear power reactors. MOX Services’ success in completing this project lies with finding and utilizing the products and services supplied by small businesses. NNSA and MOX Services are committed to increasing the contracting opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses, and the 9,683 subcontracts they have awarded to small businesses total approximately $860M.

NNSA and MOX Services have been fortunate to have worked with some exemplary small business subcontractors on the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility. Here are higlights on some of these small businesses:

Byers Precision Fabricators

Byers Precision Fabricators, a small business located in Hendersonville, North Carolina, specializes in laser precision cutting-edge technologies and fabrication. It currently has a multimillion-dollar contract in support of the MOX facility. Byers is providing Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA) Level-1 fabrication and assembly of process unit equipment glovebox shells, ventilation, mechanical components, and internal assemblies. With less than 50 employees, Byers has consistently performed and delivered high quality units on schedule and within budget for the MOX project and performed at levels usually expected of much larger world class companies. This September, NNSA and MOX Services presented Byers Precision Fabricators with the first "Gold Supplier Award" for its exceptional performance. Byers currently has approximately $10M in active contracts with MOX Services.

Petersen, Inc.

Petersen, Inc., with locations in Ogden, Utah and Pocatello, Idaho, is a small business that provides custom steel fabrication and machining services to industries throughout the country. Petersen’s contributions to the MOX project have been invaluable and it currently has approximately $80M in active MOX contracts, primarily for the fabrication of gloveboxes and internal assemblies that need to adhere to the strictest NQA Level-1 standards. Petersen, Inc. has performed superbly providing quality products, resulting in its selection as one of MOX Services “Gold Suppliers” and it will be presented an award in the near future.

SMCI

SMCI, Inc. is a small business metal fabricator located in Lakeland, Florida. After qualifying as a Quality Level 1 (QL-1) fabricator in 2005 before the start of MOX construction, SMCI successfully bid two successive solicitations for fabrication of the thousands of metal plates that will be embedded in the concrete structure of the MOX facility. Over the last six years, SMCI has delivered over $25M worth of fabricated metal embedded plates and has consistently delivered a quality product. SMCI has been very responsive to the project’s needs and, during the peak construction years, was delivering 70 to 80 thousand pounds of fabricated metal plates per week. With SMCI’s dedication to the project and its ability to consistently manufacture quality products, the MOX project’s concrete work has been a success.

Wise Services

Wise Services is a Dayton, Ohio-based business that performs specialized construction, dismantling, stabilizing and environmental restoration. The company was a subcontractor during the environmental clean-up and site closure of the Department of Energy’s Fernald uranium production facility in Ross, Ohio. Wise Services is a division of Wise Construction Company, a full service general contractor headquartered in Dayton. Wise has provided construction services for MOX Services since 2008 and has been awarded nearly $41M in subcontracts. This December, NNSA and MOX Services presented Wise Services with a "Gold Supplier Award" for its exceptional performance.

All four of these subcontractors were performing limited to no NQA-1 fabrication work prior to receiving their respective MOX Services subcontracts. As a result of this successful work, these vendors are well poised to support future nuclear new build projects.

The MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility is being built to support the U.S. commitment under the Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA), which commits the U.S. and Russia to each dispose of at least 34 MT of surplus weapon-grade plutonium, enough material for approximately 17,000 nuclear weapons. The plutonium will be fabricated into MOX fuel at the MOX facility and then irradiated in domestic nuclear power reactors. After the MOX fuel is irradiated in civilian reactors, it is no longer suitable for use in nuclear weapons.

Nearly 50 Y-12 employees served as Santa’s elves in the 2012 Angel Tree program. Now in its seventh year, this program is run by the Y-12 Employees' Society and works with charitable agencies to provide holiday gifts to children of families deemed eligible for assistance.

This year, Y-12 elves donated enough time and money to fulfill the holiday wishes of more than 497 children living in counties around the complex. Wish lists often reflect passing trends, but every year there are requests for bicycles. In 2012, Y-12 employees' efforts brought in a total of 44 new bikes and helmets to be donated, meeting more than 80 percent of the requests for bicycles.

Y-12 employees participate in all aspects of the toy drive, including donating money, shopping for toys, and collecting, sorting and delivering gifts to the agencies.

In an effort to continue to support small business, Y-12 has selected GEMTech Y-12, LLC, (GEMTech) and Technical Resource Alliance (TRA) to help with staffing needs. The agreement between Y-12 and the two companies address Y-12’s existing need for experts from various types of engineering and technical-related disciplines. The agreement also helps to streamline more than 50 existing subcontracts to better serve the site with respect to efficiency and overall cost savings.

The two companies' focus on meeting Y-12 needs, relationship building with both Y-12 and their internal team, and utilization of unique, effective tools have enabled them to provide quicker-than-expected response times and reduced project staffing costs, resulting in a smooth, professional relationship with Y-12 personnel.

In FY 2012, Y-12's collaboration with suppliers was vital as the complex faced budget reductions and uncertainties. Both TRA and GEMTech offered a rebate to Y-12 based on the revenues generated in FY 2012.

NNSA officials recently participated in an event at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the last U.S. underground nuclear explosive test and to highlight the successes of the NNSA’s Stockpile Stewardship Program.

Don Cook, Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, was among the participants of the event. He talked about the future of the Stockpile Stewardship Program and acknowledged the achievements of the past.

Small businesses continue to play a vital role in the day-to-day operations of Los Alamos National Laboratory, as evidenced by the amount of procurements from small businesses in fiscal year 2012.

In the recently completed fiscal year, LANL purchased $603.2 million in goods and services. According to LANL's Small Business Program Office, 52.5 percent of this amount went toward goods and services from small businesses, exceeding LANL's goal of 46 percent. LANL surpassed its goals for purchases from Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Women-Owned Small Businesses, HUBZone businesses, Veteran-Owned and Serviced-Disabled Veteran-Owned small businesses.

Warren Finch, LANL's acting small business program manager, says the outstanding results demonstrate LANL’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with the small business community.

Employees at Sandia National Laboratories collected enough gifts for more than 450 foster children through New Mexico’s Children, Youth, and Families Department. Patty Zamora, volunteer coordinator for Sandia's Community Involvement department (pictured here), said she's always overwhelmed by the generosity of Sandia employees.

Small businesses are a big deal at Pantex, and Roxanne Hudson couldn’t be happier about that fact.

Hudson, executive vice president of Corporate Technology Group (CTG) in Amarillo, has been working with Pantex for more than 20 years as a subcontractor, and has seen firsthand the difference a focus on small business utilization can make in a community. She said Pantex really goes out of its way to work with small businesses like hers.

CTG started in 1981 selling electronics components. As the personal computer revolution took over, the business continued to grow. It now employs about 16 people in its Amarillo and Arlington, Texas, offices. CTG procures products and services for Pantex as a subcontractor.

For years, Pantex has consistently exceeded DOE goals for directing subcontracting work to small businesses and those owned by disadvantaged groups. The effort has been so successful that Pantex has been honored two years in a row with national awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Last year, Pantex won the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for utilization of small business. This year, Pantex won the Frances Perkins Vanguard Award in recognition of its work with women-owned small businesses.

Mike Tryon, manager of the Supply Chain Management Division, said Pantex recognizes the important role small businesses play in both the local and national economy, so the Plant feels responsible for supporting small businesses whenever possible.

About the photos:(top right) Pantex received the 2012 Frances Perkins Vanguard Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration for excellence in utilization of women-owned small businesses earlier this year. (below) In the photo are, from left, Brad Brack, Small Business Program Manager at Pantex; John Woolery, B&W Pantex General Manager; Roxanne Hudson, Corporate Technology Group (CTG) Executive Vice President; Mark A. Padilla, Assistant Manager for Programs & Projects with the NNSA Production Office; and Mike Tryon, Division Manager for Supply Chain Management at Pantex.

On the plains of the Texas Panhandle, it pays to be ready for unpredictable and severe weather. The Pantex Plant has risen to that challenge, once again earning recognition from the National Weather Service (NWS) as a StormReady site.

Jose Garcia, meteorologist in charge of the NWS’s Amarillo office, says Pantex was one of the first entities of its kind to become StormReady.

Garcia and other NWS officials were at the plant recently to present Pantex officials with the recertification. He said StormReady status indicates Pantex has the weather sirens, shelters, notification technology and emergency response infrastructure to respond effectively to severe weather.

The StormReady program started in 1999 in Tulsa, Okla., and has since grown to encompass more than 2,000 sites. Pantex was the first nuclear site to earn the designation and remains one of only a handful that has achieved StormReady status.

Pantex has a long history of working with the community, says Alonza Campbell, manager of the Emergency Management Department at Pantex. Pantex maintains contact with the NWS to anticipate storms and other inclement weather conditions. Pantex even uses and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios to alert residents living near the plant of emergency conditions.